


Sweet dreams are made of...

by universal_reno



Series: Thranto! Thranto! Thranto! [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)
Genre: Academy Era, Fluff, M/M, Nightmares, Pre-Relationship, Protective Eli Vanto, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:02:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27598624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/universal_reno/pseuds/universal_reno
Summary: Eli's weird alien roommate isn't as fearless as he'd first assumed
Relationships: Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo/Eli Vanto
Series: Thranto! Thranto! Thranto! [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2017651
Comments: 2
Kudos: 48





	Sweet dreams are made of...

**Author's Note:**

> Thranto fluff. One of at least a dozen I've been working on. Don't ask me why this is the one that actually got finished. One day I'll write some fun space adventures with them. Maybe. Or I might just stick to fluff.

Eli woke suddenly, certain something was wrong but unsure of what. He lay tense in his bunk and tried to trace the source of the dread that had disturbed him. The dorm was dark save for a few small lights blinking on the desks where his and Thrawn's data pads were charging. He squinted into the shadows. When they revealed nothing he peered down over the edge of his bed. 

A soft rustling from the bottom bunk suggested he wasn't the only one who was restless. That was strange. Thrawn didn't sleep much, but when he did it was soundly. Eli stretched and scrubbed at his eyes. He could already tell he wouldn't be getting back to sleep any time soon, but he also didn't want to further disturb the Chiss. 

Someone whimpered. Eli froze. Surely not. There was no way Thrawn of all people would have nightmares. That would require being afraid of something. Thrawn had been captured and brought before the Emperor without so much as batting an eye. There was no way something in his own head would rattle him.

Another whimper. There was really no mistaking it. 

"Thrawn?" Eli called softly. When he got no response he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and dropped down, bare feet quiet against the cold durasteel. 

He could barely make out Thrawn's silhouette. He was pressed into the far corner of the narrow bunk, wedged up against the wall with his knees drawn to his chest. Up close Eli could hear his harsh, panting breaths, punctuated every few seconds by whimpers and sobs. 

"Thrawn, hey..." Eli settled on the edge of the mattress, unsure of the best course of action. After a month at Royal Imperial he'd watched Thrawn spar enough times to be wary of startling him. He could hardly leave him like this, though. Thrawn wouldn't let him suffer alone, he was sure of it. For all that he was an infuriating, overly inquisitive pain in the ass there was no mistaking his protective tendencies where Eli was concerned. 

"It's time to wake up now." Eli spoke a bit louder but with no more success. Resigning himself to the possibility of broken fingers or a dislocated shoulder he finally reached out and rested his hand on Thrawn's arm. The muscles there quivered with tension. 

"Darlin', you're having a nightmare. I need you to come back to me." The endearment came without a second thought. He gave Thrawn's arm a gentle shake and was at last rewarded with a gasp and a sudden red glow as his eyes fluttered open. Thrawn's hand clamped down around his wrist, but rather than attacking he clung. 

"Shh, take it easy. Give yourself a minute" Eli soothed. He laid his other hand on Thrawn's forehead and slowly worked back through his thick, sweat damp hair. Given the nature of their relationship as classmates it was easy to forget he was dealing with a superior officer. Instead he defaulted to how he would have treated any of his friends back at Myomar if they were in a similar situation. 

"Cadet Vanto?" The faint, ruddy light of Thrawn's eyes was briefly snuffed when he blinked. He was still shaking.

"I'm here. Do you know where you are?" It was a stupid question. One bad dream would hardly be enough to make Thrawn forget he'd been dragged halfway across the galaxy, then bound himself to an empire of strangers. Still, he hesitated for a moment before answering. When he did his voice was rough and quiet.

"Coruscant?" He didn't seem quite sure. Concern sparked in Eli's chest.

"That's right. Royal Imperial, safe in your bunk. And I'm right here with you." 

Thrawn's eyes closed once more. Longer this time, as a full body shudder rolled through him. He took a slow, deep breath before he opened them again. 

"Of course. I apologize for having woken you. It is still the night cycle, is it not?"

Eli nodded, trusting that Thrawn would see it in the infrared. He could certainly feel his cheeks heating in anticipation of the foolish plan his sleep deprived brain had just supplied him with.

"It's okay. I was having a hard time sleeping anyway." He laid a bit of a tremor onto his voice, hoping it would be believable to someone working in their third language. "Would you... Do you mind if I stay down here for a little while? It's just... I miss my friends somethin' awful, and it helps, sometimes. Having someone close and all."

Without so much as a second's hesitation Thrawn uncurled and released Eli's wrist so he could lie down. Eli did so, relieved and more than a little surprised that his plan had worked. He pressed up close against Thrawn and draped an arm over his slender waist. His head fit almost too perfectly against Thrawn's shoulder.

"Relax, sweet thing" he murmured against the fluttering pulse now alarmingly close to his lips. It felt hypocritical when his own heart was trying to hammer its way out of his chest. Could Thrawn hear it? His eyesight and reflexes were better than a human's; it wouldn't have been any great surprise if he had hearing to match. Whatever the case it didn't deter him from cuddling closer. Eli let him arrange them until Thrawn was the one with his face hidden against Eli's chest. Once he seemed settled Eli wrapped his arms around him just tight enough to reassure but not constrain. 

"Thank you, Eli Vanto."

Eli nearly missed the quiet words, muffled as they were against his own body. 

"Any time, darlin'" he replied, just as soft. The residual tension slowly drained from Thrawn's body. Eli brushed a kiss against his hair and allowed himself to relax as well. There was something here, between them. Way more than there probably should have been between an officer and his translator. One of them would have to address it sooner or later. Right now, though, it benefited them both. There would be time to work out any details beyond that in the morning.


End file.
